feeble glimmering, been fo oft betrayed. I can almost venture to affert, that the blooming Emma, at this moment manages the domeftic economy of her father's houfe, with as much prudence and activity as could be expected from the moft ignorant and accomplished female that ever iffued from a genteel boardingSchool. That he is as dutiful, as affectionate, as obedient to her parents, as if she had never looked into any book but a Novel; and will regard their memory with as much filial veneration, as if they had never furnished her mind with an idea, or taught her any other duty, fave how to drefs and play at cards!!

The week that has elapfed fince my arrival at Violet-Dale, has been spent in alternate vifits to the fons, and fons-inlaw of Mr. Denbeigh. As the moft beautiful fymmetry of feature eludes the fkill of the painter, fo do the quiet fatiffactions of life, though fources of the trueft pleafure, bid defiance to the powers of defcription: I fhall therefore of this week only mention one little incident, which pleafed, in fpite of its fim-. plicity.

On the fecond day after our arrival, while Mr. and Mrs. Denbeigh, and the lovely Emma, were liftening, with looks of complacency and delight, to the rei

cital made by my friend of fome of his adventures in India, Mr. Denbeigh was informed, that a perfon wanted to speak with him.-It was a country-man, who being by univerfal confent, admitted into the parlour, declared his business. It was, to pay to the old gentleman a finall fum of money, which, it appeared, had been lent, with little profpect of return.. He received for his punctuality, the encouragement of praife; and Emma, unbidden, arofe from her embroidery, to prefent him fome wine for himself, and fweet-cake to take home to his children. The poor man was, by this kindness, emboldened to loquacity. "Yes," faid he to Mr. Denbeigh, "I defy the whole world to fay, that Gilbert Giub ever remained one hour in any man's debt, after he was able to get out of it. And as your honour was fo good to me in my neceffity, and lent to me when no one elle would, it was good reafon to pay your honour firft. But, perhaps, you have not heard of the ftrange behaviour of Mr. Darnley ?"

"Mr. Darnley!" repeated Emma fufpending her work to liften.

"What of Mr. Darnley?" faid Mr. Denbeigh.

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Why, Sir, you must know," faid the peafant," that Old Benjamin Grub, who lived in one of Mr. Darnley's fee cot

tages, to whom, I am fure, both your honour and thefe two good ladies have given many and many a fhilling, died on Friday was eight days; and on opening his will, who do you think he fhould have left his fole heir, but Mr. Darnley ?"

"What could the poor creature have to leave?" faid Mrs. Denbeigh. "He was the very picture of wretchedness.”

"Aye, fo he was," returned the garrulous old man; "and that was the very way he took to fcrape together fuch a mine of wealth. Would you believe it, Madam? In the very rags that covered him, fifty golden guineas were concealed, and a hundred more were found in his house; but no matter for that, if it had been ten times as much, it all went to Mr. Darnley. And though to be fure, we could not blame him for taking it -yet fome of, us thought it main hard, that while fo many of his own flesh and blood were in a ftarving condition, all this ftore of wealth fhould go to one who had enough of his own."

"But, whilft his own relations left him to ftarve, had he not been fupported by Mr. Darnley's bounty?" faid Mr. Denbeigh.

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Aye, that is true," faid the peasant: but, as old Sam Grub of the Mill, fays, if any one of us had a-known of his

wealth, we would all have been as kind to him as the 'Squire."

"Mr. Darnley ought certainly to have made fome present to the old man's relations," faid Mr. Denbeigh.

Aye, Sir, I thought he might ha' given fome small thing among us," faid the peafant; "but never could have imagined, that he would have behaved in the way he did."

"Go on," faid Mr. Denbeigh knitting his brows.

The cheek of Emma grew pale: fhe took up her needle, but remained in the attitude of attention, while the peasant proceeded.

"You must know, Sir, that after hav ing had a long confabulation with the Sexton, who is himself a Grub, the firft, thing the 'Squire did, was to fend for all the Grubs in the parish, man and woman, to come to the funeral. Some of us were fo much stomached, that we did not much like to go. But, fays I, though Benjamin has been unnatural to us, that is no reafon that we fhould be unnatural to him. So we all went yefterday morn ing, at the hour appointed, and found all things prepared for the funeral-and a gallant funeral it was; it would have done good to the heart of any of his friends to have feen it. When we returned from the church-yard, Mr. Darnley, who was him

felf chief mourner, defired us all to go back with him to Ben's Cottage, where wine was poured out for us by Mr. Darnley's butler, who is himself a very grand gentleman.-When we had drank a glass, Mr. Darnley got up, and faidMy friends,' fays he, I hope none of you will have any caufe to repent the choice made by your kinfman of a truftee, for the diftribution of his property, for I cannot look upon his Will in any other light. Here are twenty of you prefent. Ten grand-children of his brothers, and as many defcendants from his uncles. To the firft I have allotted ten guineas each, to the latter five, which difposes of the whole hundred and fifty found in his poffeffion-and I hope it is a divifion with which you will all be fatisfied.' We all cried out with one voice, that his honour was too good! too generous! that he fhould at least, keep one half to himself. 'God forbid!' faid he, that I fhould take a farthing, that my confcience told me, was the property of another!--And he looked fo pleafed, and fo good humoured and we were all fo aftounded with delight for your honour must know, that ten guineas to a poor man, is a mighty fum! Ah! your honour can have no notion what it is, when a man has